Ricky Dimon
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The NCAA Tournament is upon us, but we are in between rounds on the March Madness hardwood, so don’t forget that the NBA also has plenty to offer when it comes to basketball’s best month of the year. The professional circuit’s regular season is coming down the home stretch, with plenty of intriguing battles for playoff positioning in progress. On Wednesday we have a huge 11-game schedule, headlined by a doubleheader on ESPN that begins with Brooklyn visiting Memphis before the Lakers host Philadelphia.
Let’s take a look at today’s three-team mega parlay.
Hornets -7 (-110)
Pistons ML (+170)
76ers -9.5 alternate spread (+125)
Parlay odds: +1060
For this parlay, we are going with two favorites against the spread – one on an alternate number – and one underdog straight up. Let’s break down each of the three legs one by one.
Check out all our NBA previews and picks for Wednesday!
Charlotte Hornets -7 (-110) over New York Knicks
The Hornets have won 5 straight games and now welcome the fading Knicks to town. Charlotte’s offense remains hot, just barely behind Milwaukee and Minnesota as the highest-scoring in the league. The Hornets are averaging more than 119 points per game over their last 10.
New York is coming off a home loss to Atlanta last night and is inching towards postseason elimination. The Knicks, who are 6 games out of the final playoff spot with just 10 games remaining, blew another double-digit lead – this one in the 4th quarter. The Hornets get to take advantage of a team that will have tired legs and has struggled against Eastern Conference opponents, going 15-27 straight up and marginally better at 17-25 against the spread. New York scored only 111 points last night against a bad Hawks defense.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for New York Knicks vs Charlotte Hornets
Detroit Pistons ML (+170) over Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks are coming off a 117-111 win over the Knicks at MSG last night and have a 5.5-game lead over the Wizards for the 10th seed in the East. Atlanta pretty much knows it is going to be in the 9-10 play-in game, so the motivation level may not be high. The Pistons have been eliminated from the playoffs and have the 2nd-worst record in the league, but that hasn’t stopped them from covering more than 54 percent of the time this season.
The Hawks seem to be allergic to getting back over .500. They were last above it on December 6, when they were 13-12. They have had 3 other chances since to get back on the winning side and have failed. This would seem like the perfect opportunity against a bad team, but Atlanta is on a back-to-back on the road and John Collins is still out. This has upset written all over it.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for Atlanta Hawks vs Detroit Pistons
Philadelphia 76ers -9.5 alternate spread (+125) over Los Angeles Lakers
It was a dream scenario for the 76ers in their last game, as they beat the Heat 113-106 while resting both Joel Embiid and James Harden. Both of them are expected back in the lineup tonight, so we will see an improved team on both ends of the court. With LeBron James jumping over Embiid in the race for the scoring title, expect the Philadelphia big man to have a huge game – especially as the Lakers don’t have any options at the center position to slow him down.
Philly is 10-4 in its last 14 games, and although Los Angeles is showing signs of life with 2 wins in its last 3, nothing suggests that this team is really turning things around. The Sixers’ main focus will be on containing LeBron James, because he is basically a one-man show these days. Expect Matisse Thybulle, Tobias Harris and Danny Green to take turns defending him, and those guys are capable. Don’t be surprised if Philadelphia wins this one by double-digits.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for Philadelphia 76ers vs Los Angeles Lakers
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